Harry Potter and the Visitors From the Dead
by Aza Marael
Summary: Hitsugaya Toushiro did not want to take this mission. Least of all with a half-crazy kid who wasn't even a shinigami. But sometimes, wishes have a funny way of coming true. [REWRITE]
1. Prologue

**First chapter of the rewrite. :) I'll be fixing up** _ **a lot**_ **of inconsistencies from within the first one, as have been repeatedly pointed out. Also, longer chapters and overall better writing (probably).**

 **I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter, which belong to their respective creators.**

* * *

"Hitsugaya!" A male voice screeched as he burst into room, stumbling to a stop. Panting, Izukai Shouta moved with a purpose and grace found only with years of practice towards the desk of the Tenth Division Captain. He threw the thin objects in his hand onto the top of the furniture before stumbling over to the nearby couch, collapsing atop it.

He ran a hand through unkempt brown hair, letting his bare feet dangle over one edge of the couch as he closed emerald green eyes. He let out a sigh, scratching his stomach from underneath a blue yukata.

"I'm guessing this letter is important?" One Hitsugaya Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow at the dirty feet only inches from the couch _he just had cleaned._ When he didn't get an answer, the snowy-haired Captain sighed and shook his head, setting the paperwork he was currently working on aside. He stared at the strange and undoubtedly foreign address on the letter, turning it over to inspect the seal briefly before opening it.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Toshiro Hitsugaya,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

As he stared at the vaguely familiar English letters, the temperature dropped steadily. The brunette on the couch sat up abruptly, shivering and staring at the white-knuckled grip of the figure seated behind the desk. Turquoise eyes snapped up to meet emerald green, glaring with unbidden annoyance as he flicked his wrist, the letter landing in the trash. The brunette drew his legs up to his chest as frost began to form along the floor.

"Izukai," he growled, "What is the meaning of this?" The teen jumped at his name, raising his hands.

"Hey, hey! Don't look at me. I've done a lot of things, but even I'm not stupid enough to do something like that. Only Matsumoto would take that risk." Seeing those eyes narrow, he hurried to continue. "Besides, it's an order directly from the Head Captain himself. His Lieutenant's the one who gave me the letter, before telling me to go around collecting signatures from all the Captains and Lieutenants. It's there on the back of the second sheet."

Hitsugaya glanced at the discarded sheets, and seeing the familiar writing of the Head Captain peeking out, exhaled heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The frost melted as the temperature rose to a more bearable level, and Izukai sighed. The silence was interrupted as an all too familiar voice and a pair of running feet thudding against the floor was heard.

"CAPTAIN~!" Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku burst into the room, not pausing for a moment as she leapt at her Captain, passing over the desk and tackling him into a hug. "I can't believe you're leaving me for an entire year! I'll miss you so much! What will I do while you're gone?!" She cried, squeezing harder, causing her victim to grunt.

"Matsumoto." He gasped. " _Put Me Down._ " The woman squeaked out an apology, dropping her superior. The shortest of the room's three occupants took a moment to straighten himself out and adjust his haori. He took a moment to glare at the only non-shinigami in the room, who was currently clutching his sides and laughing.

Hitsugaya turned back to his desk, eyes alighting on another letter sitting on his desk. He picked it up, turning it over to find the same address and seal as before. He turned to Matsumoto, glare becoming darker. "Matsumoto…" He hissed, his voice icy and dripping with threat.

"It wasn't me this time! Honest!" She whined, waving her hands frantically in front of her.

"Unfortunately, it's true." Shouta sighed, holding up a similar letter of his own. "I got this earlier myself." Hitsugaya glared at his lieutenant a moment longer, before tossing the letter aside and sitting at his desk once again.

He rubbed his temples for a moment before grabbing another paper off of a pile. "Might as well finish this while I can…"

Rangiku disappeared after awhile, claiming she had to do something. For once, Hitsugaya ignored it, eyes glued to his paperwork. ' _He must be_ really _annoyed, if he ignores even Matsumoto.'_ Izukai mused, again lying haphazardly on the couch. Eventually, he grabbed the book forgotten on the coffee table, nearly falling off the couch as he did so, flipping through it disinterestedly.

He looked over at the sound of the chair moving, the Captain standing and grabbing his zanpakuto. He strapped it in place on his back, heading for the door. "It's about time we got going, Izukai." He said curtly, turning to the teen on the couch before leaving. The brunette rolled off the cushions, pulling himself up and following.

* * *

The two found themselves in the Twelfth Division Labs, both silently dreading the inevitable outcome. They stepped into the strange labs of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who greeted them with a gleeful grin that sent chills down their spines.

"I assume you're here for your mission?"He asked with a sickening smile. They hesitantly nodded, and the Captain of the Eleventh Division practically clapped his hands in glee. "Good! Follow me!" He gestured impatiently, bringing them towards a smaller room where, laying on surgical tables, were two gigais. Both were wearing casual human clothes, likely provided by Rangiku.

"Um, I think you got the measurements wrong." Shouta muttered, peering at his, which was at least half a foot smaller than him.

Kurotsuchi scoffed. "They've been adjusted to suit the proper size of a twelve year old. Besides, I think you'll find that these gigais are much more comfortable and much, much stronger, seeing as you'll be wearing them for a much longer period of time." He explained, waving at them impatiently to put them on.

Shouta hesitantly did so, climbing into the body. "You're right; it feels great." He said in surprise, doing a few cartwheels before crashing into one of the tables. "But the height difference is like the reverse of puberty." He muttered, rubbing his back with a scowl.

Hitsugaya glared at his own, which was a few inches taller than the tips of his hair, before following suit. The brunette jumped as there was a loud snap, turning to see the snowy-haired Captain grimacing in pain. Kurotsuchi simply grinned some more at the other.

"Wh-What just happened?" Shouta asked, looking back and forth between them.

"You'll be sore for a few days, but I can assure you the effects will wear off quickly." The Captain continued on, ignoring the question. "Also, you'll still be able to use your Hyorinmaru and kido while in the gigai. However, both will be visible to humans should you choose to do so. Therefore, I've also created a way to hide your zanpakuto from sight while keeping it on your person. Lastly, you'll be under the guise as transfer students from Japan, so you'll need to know all spells and other information concerning Japanese Wizards and other bits of common knowledge. So if you'll stay put awhile…"

A glint of insanity lit up his eyes, hand holding a syringe with an unnecessarily long needle, the tip dripping with a sickly green liquid.

* * *

" _Brat."_

" _You're a disgrace. I don't want to see you here, you disgusting creature."_

" _Isn't he that killer? You know the one that terrorized Japan awhile back?"_

" _He should be in hell for what he's done."_

" _I feel bad for his family. What a disgrace he must be."_

* * *

"Izukai! Izukai!" A rough hand shook him, and the brunette opened his eyes, yawning. "Izukai, get up! We're leaving!" Hitsugaya snapped, leaning back and looking distastefully at the body strewn about on his couch.

"Hitsugaya? What…?" He yawned again, head throbbing painfully as he sat up and looked around the Captain's office with bleary eyes. "When'd you get so tall?" He asked, gaze settling on the head of white hair. The Captain gave him an icy glare, before turning away and hefting a large suitcase over his shoulder. Getting the message, the brunette crawled off the couch, wobbling on his feet as he picked up another suitcase with as much ease as the other.

"Matsumoto packed for us a few hours ago." Hitsugaya explained as the two dragged the large objects past the houses and other buildings of Seireitei. Shouta simply hummed in response.

Only a few minutes passed before the two found themselves in front of the Senkaimon with the Head Captain, Captain Kurotsuchi and Lieutenant Matsumoto to see them off. "It is imperative that your identities and the existence of the Soul Society remain _unknown_ to wizards." Yamamoto eyed Shouta while saying this particular statement. "Good luck to you both."

The two nodded. "Well then, thanks for all that. See ya Matsumoto. Head Captain. Clown face." Izukai gestured to each of them as he threw out the nickname, stepping through the Senkaimon with Hitsugaya before he could be reprimanded.

* * *

 **Not too much of a difference with this first chapter, but there's not much plot here anyways. I will probably update irregularly, but I'm going to try to finish this as quickly as possible. It's already been written once, so hopefully that will help it go faster.**


	2. Welcome to England

**Bold text is dialogue in Japanese.**

* * *

" **Welcome to England! Man, I haven't been here since I was alive."** Shouta muttered, shaking his head at the thought before looking around. " **So, where are we supposed to go?"** He asked, glancing at the Captain-turned-boy beside him.

" **We're supposed to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. After that, we are to go to a place called Diagon Alley to get school supplies. September first is in a week, so it's best we get our things today.** " Hitsugaya replied, pulling from his pocket a small, folded piece of paper. He unfolded it, glancing at and memorizing the address written on it before stuffing the paper back into his pocket.

The two of them trudged out of the alley they'd arrived in, glancing around at the large buildings and crowded streets. People whispered as they passed, pointing out the duo to their companions.

" **You need to dye that hair of yours. It's making us stand out**." Shouta grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets and glaring at a whispering group of schoolgirls that kept glancing at them. Immediately, the group squealed and ran off.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and snapped out a retort irately. " **Speak for yourself, Izukai. Do you know how much trouble the women in my squad make when it comes to you?** " He called out as a cab sped by, screeching to a halt before them. " **Now come on. We don't have any time to waste**."

" **Yes, your highness,"** Shouta replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he dumped the suitcases in the back.

He ignored Hitsugaya's response as he climbed into the backseat. The two were silent as the cab sped through London traffic, bodies tilting with the speeding vehicle as it squeezed past cars and swerved down side roads. It screeched to a stop on Charring Cross Road, the two paying the driver before climbing out and dragging their baggage from the back.

The cab sped off again, disappearing into the city traffic. Heaving their luggage up, the two trudged along the sidewalks once more. It wasn't hard to find the Leaky Cauldron, which easily stood out from the rest of the buildings sandwiching it with its ramshackle appearance and dust-covered windows.

" **You sure this is it?"** Shouta asked hesitantly, eyeing the cobwebs dusting the undersides of the roof distastefully. The Captain of the Tenth Division nodded in an affirmative, striding up to the door and pulling it open with a loud creak and the jingle of a bell. The two stepped inside, garnering the attention of the few other customers, who watched the boys warily.

"We'd like to speak to Tom." Shouta raised his voice, the English syllables rolling off his tongue with ease. He gave another brief glare towards the staring eyes, causing them to flinch away. He sighed inwardly at the unneeded attention.

"Do you need something?" Asked an old man from behind the bar, leaning over the old wood to peer at his new guests. He seemed unfazed by his strange customers, though considering the look of the place; Shouta wouldn't be surprised if he got strange or shady characters coming around a lot.

"We're transfer students for Hogwarts." Hitsugaya replied, moving around the half-empty tables towards the owner. "We'd like a room for two." They transferred payment quietly, Tom nodding in satisfaction before leading them up the stairs in the back.

They passed several rooms with brass numbers stuck to the doors before halting at the polished brass of the number twelve. "This is your room." He explained, setting a key down in Hitsugaya's open palm. "Come find me when you want to head to Diagon Alley." The duo nodded and Tom left with a friendly smile thrown over his shoulder.

Hitsugaya opened the door using the old key, dropping his trunk onto the bed on the left side of the room. Shouta dumped his on the right, neither bothering to look around at the desk or largely bare area before moving quickly down the stairs. With a request Tom led them out to the back, where nothing sat but a few trash bags and an old brick wall.

The foreigners didn't say anything, waiting expectantly for what was undoubtedly a barrier to be opened. Tom strode up to the wall and pulled out his wand, tapping on several (seemingly random) bricks with the stick. He smiled with satisfaction as the bricks folded into each other repeatedly, earning two startled looks from the transfer students behind him.

Shouta and Hitsugaya cautiously stepped through the arch that had formed and into the bright, chaotic hustle of Diagon Alley. They earned quite a few stares, though thankfully not nearly as much as they had before. Shouta figured that, as wizards, they were used to strange things. " **So where to first?"**

" **We need to get wizarding currency from Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The Head Captain never gave me a vault number or key, so I assume your family has connections in the wizarding world as well.** " Hitsugaya pulled out a piece of parchment paper, a list of objects scribbled onto it in English. The brunette shrugged in response, the two having begun strolling along the street towards the large, pristine marble building in the center of the chaos.

" **I never grew up with knowledge about wizards, so I can't say. I have a ring of keys though, so it's probably there somewhere**." He replied, dodging around a wizard carrying a particularly large and unstable stack of crates. The white-haired Shinigami reached the doors first, pulling the large bronze doors open with ease. He eyed the goblin in the scarlet uniform with open curiosity before continuing in.

Within the entrance hall they found themselves before another set of doors, this time silver. Shouta peered at the writing engraved on them.

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure here._

" **Pleasant**." The brunette muttered, opening the doors first this time and leading the way into the hall. Long counter-tops stretched along the marble hall, over a hundred more goblins sitting before them, back to doorways behind them. The goblins who weren't attending to someone watched them with beady eyes, long floppy ears and grotesque faces. Shouta wrinkled his nose ever so slightly, pulling his arms around his waist somewhat protectively as he walked by.

"Yes?" Sitting at a large front desk that seemed to tower over them was another of the creatures, peering over its glasses to look at them below.

"I wish to make a withdrawal from the Izukai family vault." The brunette stated firmly, despite being thoroughly freaked out. The goblin seemed almost amused by this, though he couldn't tell for sure.

"And do you have your key?" The boy glanced at his snowy-haired companion nervously before pulling out a ring of keys from within his pocket, each of varying colors, types and sizes. The goblin scowled when he handed it the entire ring, sorting quickly through the ring before taking out one in particular.

Shouta grinned apologetically as the goblin handed him back the ring, gnarled fingers holding the one key delicately, the number _121_ engraved on it.

* * *

As the two of them walked out of the bank, pockets and bags now thoroughly filled with coins, Hitsugaya took the parchment with the list back out, eyes flicking over it momentarily before he once again put them away.

" **We should get wands first. It should be at a place called Ollivander's**." He pointed out the sign of the shop overhead, heading in the direction he'd indicated. " **Not that I understand the point of** _ **sticks**_." He added under his breath. Shouta snorted.

They hurried through the bustling street, ignoring the catcalls of students gathered around various shops or the whispers of passersby carrying shopping bags. The shop of Ollivander's, while old, held a certain elegance about it. A polished wand sitting on a dusty cushion was displayed in the windows, the handle on the door beginning to rust.

"Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. huh?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, a corner of his lip following.

A small bell jingled as they stepped inside, closing the door behind them. "Excuse me? We're in need of wands." Hitsugaya called as Shouta peered past the empty desk and into the rows upon rows of shelves of boxes of what he presumed were wands. They waited for another minute before an old man popped out from between the shelves, making his way to the front desk with an easygoing smile and a knowing look in his eyes.

"Visitors from the dead, eh? I haven't had one of your kind in a while." Both boys shared a look before turning back to the old man with raised eyebrows and a wary disposition. The man chuckled, winking at them. "Worry not. Whatever happens in Ollivander's, stays in Ollivander's." His eyes twinkled as he surveyed his customers, a hovering tape measure flying about the two bewildered foreigners. "So, who's first?"

Hitsugaya stepped up after a moment's hesitation, and Ollivander nodded in approval. His eyes twinkled with excitement as he hurried back into the aisles, finger sliding over the boxes gently before pausing and pulling one out, dust flying as he did so. He moved quickly back to the duo at the front, box in hand.

"Rosewood with unicorn hair, eight inches." He recited, opening the box and holding it out to Hitsugaya. He took it carefully, looking at the wand as if it could explode at any moment. Mr. Ollivander chuckled. "Go on, give it a wave." He suggested, gesturing to the wand. Hitsugaya complied, feeling somewhat silly as he waved the wand through the air. The windows shattered, and the Captain winced.

"Sorry," he muttered, quickly setting the wand onto the desk. The shop owner simply waved his apology off, hurrying back into the aisle. He returned with another box, taking off the top and holding it out again. "Ash with Thestral Tail hair, eleven inches," Hitsugaya grabbed it, more carefully this time, giving the shopkeeper a cautious look and receiving a nod in return. He waved it, and the man dove out of the way as an icicle flew in his direction, impaling the wood behind him. "Definitely not," the man muttered, snatching the wand out of his hand.

This process continued, Hitsugaya waving over a dozen more wands, only to have each and every one snatched back before he could do anymore damage. The shop was in shambles when the man strode to the back, pausing as he looked at another box buried in the back. The box itself was a pure white, standing out as much as an adult amongst a bunch of young children.

Ollivander glanced back at Hitsugaya for a moment before pulling out the box and striding back to the front. "Ivory wood with thestral tail hair and heartstring from the oldest ice dragon since recorded in existence. Fourteen inches." He said simply, the light in his eyes even brighter than before, despite his posture being more serious than his earlier frantic rush. He removed the lid, revealing a wand as white as its box.

Hitsugaya lifted it from its casing gingerly, feeling a surge of energy flow through him almost immediately after gripping it. He waved the wand, and snow began falling lightly from the ceiling, a thin blanket of it covering the floorboards. "Perfect," The man grinned, nodding to himself satisfactorily before turning to look at Shouta. "I'm assuming you're the same as your friend?" He asked, receiving a hesitant nod in return.

"Pretty much," the brunette replied, not entirely understanding what that was supposed to mean. Ollivander nodded in response, muttering to himself as he strode to the back again.

He came back with a decidedly large pile of boxes in his arms, setting them gently on one side of the desk. He picked up one at random, opening the lid and handing it to Shouta. "Oak with unicorn hair, seven and a half inches." Shouta picked it up, more assuredly than Hitsugaya had been, and waved it. A discarded chair nearby caught on fire, which Ollivander promptly put out with a wave of his own wand. Taking the wand, he quickly replaced it with another one. "Cherry with phoenix feather and thestral tail hair, fourteen inches." The pile of boxes flew off the desk, hitting the shelves behind it with a lot more force than boxes should have.

Similarly with Hitsugaya, the process of wave-disaster-take repeated, the pile of wands quickly growing smaller. It wasn't until they'd narrowed the pile down to three that they'd found a wand that didn't try to take someone or something out. The box looked older than the others, and within, the wand itself was as black as the box it was contained in. "Ebony wood with phoenix feather and thestral tail cores, fifteen inches."

Shouta took it and gave it a wave, a cold breeze swirling throughout the room as the lights dimmed. The man nodded, seemingly pleased with himself. "Glad to see those two wands have finally found their rightful owners. That will be fourteen galleons, plus five more for the thestral tail hair cores."

"Why is there extra for cores you put in yourself?" The brunette grumbled, counting out the gold coins needed.

Ollivander smiled. "For those of your origin, thestral tail is needed to transfer your energy into substantial magic, which is then channeled through the original core into whatever spells you may use. Both soul reapers and thestrals are very closely linked to death, are they not?" He explained, peering at them from over his wire-rimmed glasses. The duo looked at the store owner, who seemed to be a lot more intelligent than they'd first judged him to be.

* * *

After paying Ollivander the money and saying their goodbyes, the two once again found their way on a cluttered street, stuffing their wands into their pockets as they did so. "That was… interesting." Hitsugaya said dryly, his companion shaking his head in equal amusement as they set off to the next shop.

" **So what did you think of that Ollivander guy? Eccentric, isn't he**?" Shouta asked, still amused from their meeting with the wandmaker as they left Flourish  & Blotts, hauling behind them a rather extensive amount of books.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes in response. " **I hope not every wizard is like him**." He grumbled in reply, and Shouta laughed. After a last stop at Scribbulus Writing Instruments for some much needed parchment and quills, the two dragged their newly bought wares back into their rooms at the Leaky Cauldron before heading back out to Diagon Alley (without Tom's help this time) for something to eat and to simply peruse the other miscellaneous shops.

They strolled along the streets, ignoring any looks they got and gazing instead at the various vendors and strange windows of equally strangely named shops. " **Hitsugaya, let's check out that one!** " Shouta yelped in excitement, pointing briefly at a sweets shop before dragging the shorter of the two inside.

The Captain found himself dragged along to several more stores, including Rosa Lee Teabag, Obscurus Books, an extensive trip to a Junk Shop and another visit to Gringott's for more money. He took a cup of green tea gratefully from a vendor as his overzealous companion bought a leather messenger's bag to hold everything from another such vendor. When he returned looking satisfied, Hitsugaya sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

" **We're on a mission, Izukai, not a vacation.** " He grumbled, giving the other a glare for good measure. Shouta frowned in dfeat before his eyes lit up at the sight of something else off in the distance.

" **Fine, just one more store. Promise.** " He replied quickly, grabbing the snowy-haired Shinigami roughly by the arm and squeezing quickly through the crowd. The Captain-turned-child barely had time to register the sign above the doorway before he was engulfed in the smell of animal fur and excretion. He wrinkled his nose as the door to the Magical Menagerie swung closed behind him.

"Welcome! What can I do for you today?" A young employee asked, sidling up to them as Shouta gazed around the shop like a child. (Well, Hitsugaya supposed that as of now, he _was_ a child.) He surveyed the shop with mostly little interest, eyes pausing on the nearby selection of owls.

"What owls do you have that can quickly cross great distances?" He asked, turning to the employee. She gave him a smile that was entirely too bright.

"You're lucky! We just got a shipment of specially bred Asian Collared Scops Owls!" She replied, leading him to the back in a section filled with owls hooting and sending feathers everywhere. "They've been interbred with other magical species, so they have a speed and strength capacity that's much larger than normal owls." She explained quickly and giddily, so much so that Hitsugaya had a hard time keeping up with her, even with his extensive mastery of the language.

As she spoke, she led him to a section filled with smaller owls, picking up a cage with an owl only around twenty four centimeters long, not much bigger than his hand. It was a mottled light brown with its face a lighter shade. Both the beak and the claws were an olive-gray color, with two small ears and a belly the same shade as the facial disc. It stared at him with large ice blue eyes, seeming strange on this particular species, though he supposed that was the "magical" part of its heritage expressing itself.

Thanking the woman curtly, he picked up the cage—he made sure he was careful not to jostle the bird within—before moving to a different section of the store. He found Shouta cooing at a small animal in the 'Exotic Pets' section. Looking over his shoulder he found a small creature (about as big as a rabbit) sitting in the brunette's hands. It was a blue-gray color, with short, round ears larger than a rat's but shorter than a rabbit, with four short limbs and a rounded, but small body. It had large black eyes which held a blue tint to them.

" **Is that—"**

" **A chinchilla: native to the Andes. Although, this particular one was raised in the United States**." Shouta supplied, massaging the creature's sides with his thumbs, as the rest of his hands were currently being sat on. " **This one in particular is a female**."

" **I do believe we were told we could only have rats, cats, toads or owls as pets**." The Captain pointed out, holding up his own owl for emphasis. Shouta stuck his tongue out childishly in response, standing and cradling the furry creature in his arms.

" **Chinchillas are considered rodents. I think for this purpose I should be allowed**." He retorted cheekily, grabbing some pet supplies for the both of them from a nearby shelf. As the bags began filling up his arms, the rodent in his arms crawled up, resting instead on his shoulders.

Hitsugaya shook his head, sighing in defeat as he followed the brunette up to the counter, lips thinning at the cost it all amounted to.

They made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron after that, largely at the insistence of Hitsugaya, and he watched as the other began unpacking everything they'd bought, tossing anything of his over.

" **What are you going to do about your name?** " The Captain asked not long after the brunette had finished putting things in their place. " **Izukai Shouta is dead to the world, after all.** " Shouta glanced up from where he lay on the bed, elbows propping him up on his stomach and hand playing with his new pet.

He shrugged in response to the question. " **Shouta's a pretty common name, so I'll probably stick with that. Less confusion. As for my last name…Watanabe? I knew a Watanabe Shouta once.** " The rodent made a clicking sort of sound in pleasure as his finger scratched a particular spot under its chin.

Hitsugaya sighed. " **I suppose that will work.** "

" **Anyways, what happened to Hyorinmaru? Didn't Clown Face say he'd found some way to hide him so that you could carry him around without people knowing?** " The brunette asked, changing the subject. The Captain held up his hand, where there was an ice blue ring on his middle finger.

" **It's the same concept as your ring. This will morph into Hyorinmaru's unreleased form when I will it too. However, to others it will just be a normal ring. The difference between yours and mine is that if I drop it, it won't automatically transform back.** " He explained, before heaving himself off his bed. He rifled through his suitcase for a moment, grabbing a few miscellaneous things before turning back to his companion. " **We should retire for the night. You need to get used to waking up on a schedule, so it's best to start now.** "

He turned away and moved towards the bathroom, his back hiding the smirk at the dramatic groan and the sound of Shouta flopping back onto the bedspread in response.


	3. Transfer Students

**Bold is Japanese.**

 _Italics is thoughts/dreams/sorting hat._

* * *

 _Blood was everywhere. The once magnificent mansion was dank, the warm lighting replaced by a cold darkness penetrated only by the murky luminescence of a red moon._

" _Your entire fault…"_

 _He shivered, cold fingers tracing up his spine, and he wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep the chill away. The fingers moved up towards the back of his neck, breaths ghosting along it before manicured nails grazed over his shoulders. Arms wrapped around his chest, and he shuddered, curling in on himself._

" _Always, always your fault…"_

 _The gentle fingertips became claws, scraping themselves along his chest, dragging slowly back up his chest and around his shoulders. They dug into his back, as if making sure to cause as much pain as possible. He gasped quietly, feeling the warm red liquid dripping down his back to join the rest of the pool already coating the building's interior._

" _Why do we have to pay for your crimes? Why are we the only ones who hurt?"_

 _He tried to scream, but no sound came out. His insides were incinerating from the inside out, spreading through his body like a fast-acting poison. The warm, liquidated substance spread across his stomach and chest, seeping through his clothes and staining them crimson. The sword twisted in his gut, and blood rushed up his throat, clogging it. He coughed as he tried to pull the blade out, only to find nothing there but his own wounds._

 _Terror crept up his spine, and his breaths turned into more coughing and hacking in a poor attempt to breathe, and for a long moment he was terrified he was going to die._

* * *

Shouta woke up with a start, thrashing in his bed. He bolted up, blankets in a heap on the floor. His hands grasped at his stomach, gripping the t-shirt and wheezing as his eyes flit wildly around the room. "J-Just a dream…" He muttered, taking deep breaths and rubbing his face tiredly.

" **Are you alright, Izukai?** " The brunette looked up to see Hitsugaya standing by the door, packed trunk and owl in hand.

He sighed, taking another deep breath before answering. " **Y-Yeah, I'm fine. We have to leave for the train right? I'll get changed and meet you down there.** " He replied, giving the white-haired boy a weak smile. Hitsugaya's lips turned down, but nodded anyways, deftly pulling open the door and leaving the other alone in the room.

Shouta came down moments later, suitcase thumping along the stairs, chinchilla gripping tightly to his shoulder. You wouldn't have expected anything to have happened at first glance, as was the effectiveness of his mask, though when you looked close enough you could see the dark circles under his eyes and the paler-than-normal pallor of his skin.

" **I've already got a cab, let's go.** " Hitsugaya said curtly, turning and exiting the inn, the brunette following close behind.

The cabbie, while a different person from the first, had the same indistinctive features and sour expression. The two were silent on the drive to King's Cross Station, both boys brooding over their own demons, as well as what was to come.

The train station was bustling with people, all rushing to get somewhere. Men who kept glancing at their watches, women with their heads buried in mirrors, students distracted by books and phones, and parents trying to hustle their children to move.

The duo moved seamlessly through the crowd, Shouta with his eyes set on one direction, and Hitsugaya glancing at everything around him. From the corner of his eye, the brunette noticed a particular interest for the trains in those teal eyes.

They reached the platforms of nine and ten quickly, the two standing out of the way of other people as they decided on their next course of action. " **I don't see a Platform 9 ¾, meaning it's probably hidden from muggles somehow. The Head Captain didn't say anything about that, did he?** " Hitsugaya shook his head, and the brunette sighed.

They stood there; waiting and watching people come and go. Most everyone didn't seem to have any interest in either Platform, aside from the occasional person getting on a train and glancing at the signs above. It wasn't until a particular family of redheads and a boy with black hair and glasses stopped not far from them, talking for a moment between the Platforms.

" **I believe I saw them the other day in the Leaky Cauldron.** " Hitsugaya muttered, eyes trained on them as two boys—twins, it seemed—dragged the carts carrying their luggage into a position before the brick of the pillar. The Japanese duo watched with rapt attention as the first ran straight for the stone, the second following close behind. They waited for the inevitable impact and resulting crash—

But there was none, the twins vanishing into thin air. " **Just found the Platform we were looking for.** " Shouta shook his head in disbelief as he and his companion slowly began making their way towards the family and the entrance to Platform 9 ¾. The twins were followed by a young girl, and their parents, leaving the black-haired boy and the redhead kid about his age.

The glasses-clad one kicked off the ground first, launching himself at the pillar with his friend behind him. They were obviously expecting the same result as their viewers did, both grunting with pain as their gut collided with the cart, stopped abruptly by the now solid brick wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" A man in uniform called out, leaving his conversation with another customer and stalking over to the kids. He leered down at them with a disapproving frown.

"Sorry sir… We l-lost control." The darker-haired of the two muttered in reply, adjusting his too-large clothes and pushing up his glasses in a habitual manner. The man gave them another glare, opening his mouth to reprimand them some more when a frazzled young woman with two small children diverted his attention.

Hitsugaya tilted his head, having not paid attention to the scene resulting from the unexpected crash, and glided over around the pillar without anyone nearby noticing. Shouta followed quietly, sticking to the shadows to hide from mortal attention. The brunette watched his shinigami companion stalk over to a small, gray elf-like creature with floppy pointed ears and a too thin body only about half as the Captain was tall. The creature wore only rags to cover its body, and it seemed to shrink in on itself under the other's glare.

"What did you do?" Hitsugaya growled icily at the creature, which shook its head vehemently.

"Dobby can't let Harry Potter go to Hogwarts." The creature—Dobby—replied firmly, though its—his—eyes were wide with fear.

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed and Shouta grimaced in sympathy for the elf. "Let us through. _Now_." He hissed, Dobby shaking his head again, though with more hesitancy this time. Dobby shivered, though anyone else was too far away to feel the effects, seeing as it must've been focused on the creature.

Another minute passed with the other two kids thinking of what to do next before the elf relented. He snapped his fingers, disappearing with a pop. There was a yelp not soon after, and Shouta watched the redheaded kid stumble as his hand suddenly slipped through the barrier.

"Hey, we can pass through again!" He exclaimed, grabbing his cart and pulling it through, his friend close behind.

The nonliving inhabitants currently in the area moved to occupy the spaces the other two had been in moments before. " **So this is it, huh?** " The brunette muttered, putting his hand through the wall experimentally. There was a slight push, as if he was walking against a strong wind, but otherwise he could pass through without a problem.

" **Let's get on and find a seat. I would rather not be surrounded by nosy students.** " Hitsugaya sighed, picking his trunk and the owl cage up from where he'd left it and hauling it through the wall. After a moment's hesitation, and another test with his hand, Shouta followed.

The station, while in a different dimension entirely, was just as busy and bustling as the one they'd just left, though perhaps with less people. They dodged around parents and children saying their farewells, climbing onto the scarlet red train before it left without them.

Students were in a significantly less amount here, most in either the compartments or still on the platform with their families. Only the occasional student milled about, and they moved through the small hall quickly and painlessly.

They ducked into the first empty compartment they saw, Shouta catching a glimpse of a familiar family of redheads outside one of the windows. After heaving their luggage onto the racks above them, Hitsugaya setting the owl cage along with it, they took seats opposite each other by the window.

" **Have you decided on a name yet?** " Shouta asked, nodding up to the cage holding the Collared Scops Owl that was currently dozing off. The snowy-haired Captain glanced up at the creature for a moment.

" **Yukari,** " He eventually replied, and his companion nodded in approval. " **How about you?** " He asked, eyeing the rodent that had crawled down from the brunette's shoulder onto his lap. Shouta stroked the soft fur absently.

" **I was thinking about Chihana. She's a real scatterbrain after all.** " Hitsugaya's lips twitched upwards as the brunette laughed.

" **Like owner, like pet.** " The Captain muttered, earning another long laugh from the other.

The door slid open, revealing a familiar boy with dark hair and green eyes hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses. "Mind if we sit here? Everyone else is full." He shuffled nervously in place, eyeing their no doubt strange appearances. Behind him was the redheaded kid from earlier, looking at them with the same wariness as his friend. His clothes were well-fitted on his body compared to the baggy jeans and shirt hanging off his friend, if not a little worn.

Behind the two of them, looking very confident and not at all fazed by their looks was a girl with light brown, bushy hair. Despite her posture and overall friendly demeanor, she held the same cautiousness as her friends, eyes flicking between the two as if trying to place them.

"Go ahead." Shouta replied after a moment, Hitsugaya nodding in consent. The trio filed in, struggling to put their luggage in the racks above before plopping down onto various seats; the girl next to Shouta and the boys next to Hitsugaya.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ronald Weasley and Harry." The bushy-haired girl piped up, both foreigners silently noting the lack of a last name for 'Harry'.

"It's Ron," Ronald added, before Hermione went on.

"I haven't seen you two around before, but you seem too old to be first years. Are you transfer students?" She asked, leaning forward in interest towards the two. Hitsugaya nodded. "Where are you from? Oh, and I haven't asked your names yet." The two could see the beginnings of a tangent forming, much to their chagrin.

"We're transferring from Japan," Shouta interrupted quickly, before she could go on. "My name is Shouta Watanabe and this is Toshiro Hitsugaya." He gestured to the aforementioned Shinigami as he spoke. This seemed to serve as a spark for another interest in her eyes, but before she could begin again, the redhead—Ron—spoke up.

"Why is your hair white?" He asked, staring at Hitsugaya incredulously, earning a hiss of indignation from Hermione. The Captain scowled at him, but didn't otherwise answer. The brunette watched the trio shiver as a cold breeze filtered through the cabin. "Right; never mind." Ron muttered, shrinking in on himself.

Shouta yawned, almost exaggeratedly, as if to get a point across. "Well, if that's all, I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me when we get there."

Hitsugaya's scowl turned on his companion, who had left him to deal with the nosy brats. Shouta just smirked and closed his eyes.

* * *

The castle was magnificent: high, spiraling towers and large, looping arches hidden from the mortal eye. The structure itself wasn't anything to gawk at, however; Hitsugaya had seen many castles and members of royalty in his lifetimes. It was what it held within that was worth gawking over.

A tall, shrewd woman who'd introduced herself as Minerva McGonagall led them all into a relatively small room, eyeing any overly rambunctious first years with disapproval as she spoke. Hitsugaya smirked inwardly as he looked down on all the heads around him—not that he was short, of course.

The transfer students listened only vaguely as she explained what would happen during the Sorting Ceremony, choosing instead to examine the room and the energy surrounding the castle. It definitely held a much higher rate than any other place inhabited by people (perhaps with the exception of Karakura) with the greatest amount currently congregated in the largest room; what the Transfigurations Professor had called the Great Hall.

Eventually, she began ushering the students out, with a quick word to the transfer students about their own Sorting before following the kids out. Hitsugaya and Shouta watched from a conveniently left crack in the doors as the Sorting Ceremony began.

 _Many centuries ago when my tale began  
With Four Founders and a hat,  
Within this school they planned  
To put some brains inside so the sorting could commence!_

 _To each a separate set of traits  
In which were greatly prized  
Within e'ery group of students  
Strong, cunning, just or wise_

 _A house per Founder and student pair  
In which held common virtues  
That will set them apart from the rest  
And let their young minds flourish._

 _Bold Gryffindor, so brave and lionhearted  
Sage Ravenclaw with cleverness and wit unrivaled  
Sweet Hufflepuff, both true and kind to all around regardless  
Sly Slytherin treasured for his ambition and his guile_

 _They sent their wishes and regards  
For the rest as they moved on  
So that now I may choose  
Just where you might belong!_

 _Each will set their House apart,  
And differ from the rest  
But the real question now for you,  
Is which house is the best?_

When the old, ratty hat sitting atop the school went silent again, the two stared, stunned, as the rest of the Hall burst into applause.

" **Don't see that every day.** " Shouta muttered, the two listening as the first child's name was called. The small first year—a girl by the name of Becky—nervously stumbled up to the stool, climbing onto it as the hat was plopped onto her head.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The two jumped as the sound ripped itself from the hat's—seam? mouth?—the process repeating as the next kid was called up, and so on, until the two had become used to the scene.

Once all the first years had been sorted, Dumbledore stood, eyes twinkling from under half-moon glasses.

"This year, I am pleased to announce the arrival of transfer students at our school for the first time in 408 years." He began, and the Captain took that as their cue, he and his companion striding into the Hall, all eyes turning to them. "Due to some unfortunate incidents at their school in Japan, these two students will be entering their second year here."

As they made their way down the path towards McGonagall and the Sorting Hat, whispers rippled through the gathered student body, accompanied by blatant stares of varying interest focused on the newcomers. When they stopped just feet from the stool, the Transfiguration Professor held up another piece of parchment, much smaller than the one she'd had whilst calling out the names of the first years.

"Hitsugaya, Toshiro."

The Captain climbed up the two to three steps to the stool, sitting down on it and being mildly chagrined when his feet only barely grazed the ground. The frayed hat fell onto his head, falling down over most of his eyes.

' _Interesting. You're not from around here, are you?'_ Hitsugaya went rigid in his seat, hands gripping the side of the stool so hard his knuckles went white. A barrier went up instantly around his thoughts. _'Now that won't do. I can't sort you properly if you don't let me see anything.'_

Hitsugaya frowned. _'Why should I let you?'_

' _I am the Sorting Hat. It's my job to see into the minds of students in order to sort them properly. '_ The snowy-haired Shinigami scowled stubbornly from beneath the confines of the hat. The hat seemed to sigh. _'I'm forbidden from telling anyone what I see, not even the Headmaster will know, unless I determine you as a threat to Hogwarts.'_

Scowling some more, the Captain flitted through all the possible consequences before he eventually relented with a promise of painful death. The hat laughed shakily, and Hitsugaya's memories were flying past his mind's eye.

' _My, quite the accomplished one. And a Captain at that! You would do well in Ravenclaw, but seeing as you're not here to learn… You seem to be quite the ambitioned one as well. Slytherin would be pleased to have you…'_ The Sorting Hat reached farther in, to something more primal, and Hyorinmaru growled inside Toshiro's mind. The hat chuckled in response. _'Is this the Zanpaktou I'm hearing so much about? Don't worry, I'll be out of here soon. Oh, you're quite courageous, and very loyal to those you care about. While you could fit well in any of the Houses, you'd be best in…_ '

"GRYFFINDOR!" Hitsugaya tore the hat off his head, thrusting it back into McGonagall's somewhat startled hand as he hopped off the stool to head towards the cheering table. Shouta raised an eyebrow at the behavior, but the Captain merely shook his head.

"Watanabe, Shouta." The brunette stepped up to the stool, sitting down carefully and frowning when the hat was placed on his head, not quite covering his eyes.

' _Interesting… Another dead one, eh? And you've had quite the life.'_

' _Watch yourself, hat.'_ He growled inwardly, causing the hat to chuckle.

' _Like I mentioned to your friend, I won't say anything.'_ Shouta sighed resignedly. _'Now then… Another child prodigy, I see… Loyal to those you care about, even to go to such great lengths to protect them… Reckless, however, and your actions are on the border between bravery and stupidity.'_ The brunette scowled, the hat humming in approval. _'Just a warning, don't try to do everything alone. You'd do quite well in Gryffindor, but I sense a darker part of your mind, locked away perhaps, but there nonetheless. I think it'd better be…'_

"SLYTHERIN!" Much like Hitsugaya, the brunette tore the hat off his head, moving quickly away from it and towards the green-clad table. When the snowy-haired Captain raised an eyebrow in question as he passed, he mimicked Hitsugaya's earlier response, shrugging.

"Bloody hell! He was a stinking Slytherin?!" Ron growled, glaring at the aforementioned table.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed in return. "Just because he was sorted into that House doesn't make him like Malfoy! You didn't think that when we were talking to him on the train, did you?" She scolded, her reasoning causing the redhead to cross his arms and slouch when he couldn't make a comeback.

Hitsugaya, who'd been watching the exchange quietly, turned with concealed shock as the table filled with piles upon piles of different foods. Pork and turkey slathered in gravy sat on platters, potatoes made in a variety of ways steamed in bowls, and—to his relief—an array of Japanese dishes were carefully arranged on their own platters.

The Captain scooped a small bowl of rice, a few sashimi and several other miscellaneous dishes with a pair of chopsticks that had appeared nearby.

"What's this?" An unnamed, plump boy with short, dark hair lifted up a kettle, sniffing the insides indelicately.

Hitsugaya quickly confiscated it from his grip, glancing at the contents for only a moment before pouring it into his glass. "Green tea," he offered in explanation to the boy's expression.

They were interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the bench, Shouta sitting down next to the other transfer student. "Hey," he greeted, indifferent to the glares of several Gryffindors as he began filling his own plate.

"You're going to cause quite the riot doing this." The white-haired Shinigami pointed out, though despite his serious tone, he was smirking in amusement. Shouta shrugged in response, offering a similar expression of his own.

"So what if they don't get along? It's not our problem." He replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And I really don't care what anyone thinks. Unless a professor tells me to move, I'm not moving."

"What the heck is _this?_ " Ron's voice piped up from across them, a red, flowery-shaped object stabbed onto his fork, face twisted in mild disgust.

"Squid." Hitsugaya explained curtly, rolling his eyes as the Weasley dropped it with a more pronounced expression of disgust written across his face. He turned back to Shouta, the two transfers switching between Japanese and English with ease as they conversed, both ignoring the occasional glares they earned from several Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Shouta smirked in amusement as one of the Slytherin girls threw him a sneer as she stalked by them and out of the Hall. "Well, I better get going. **And I'll do that report, so don't worry about it, Captain.** See ya." He waved in Harry's direction as he got up from the table, strolling leisurely out of the Hall.

* * *

 **Pet names and their meanings:**

 **Yukari- Affinity/Related/Connected-** **ゆかり**

 **Sorayuki-Sky Snow-** **空雪**

 **Chihana- Scattered Flowers-** **散花**

 **(I know for some of these, particular for Yukari, that it is an actual name but the Japanese spelling I've used for them isn't necessarily the spelling that's used for the name, but rather for different purposes. Ignore that. And ignore the Sorayuki; I had a hard time picking a name for the damned owl, and I liked that one so it's going to stay there.)**

 **On the other hand, yes, I did make up my own song for the Sorting Hat (took forever too). It didn't feel right skipping it or just copying it from elsewhere, so. I throw my copyrights all over that one.**


	4. The First Victim

The first few days for the two transfers proved to be a lot more hectic than they had originally thought. For Hitsugaya, the most interesting was their first History of Magic class—not that he would ever admit it, of course.

He had arrived early, sitting by the windows near the back, with Shouta not far behind. The professor had been late to the class, and as he'd passed through the wall with a dull greeting, the brunette toppled over in his seat, to the great amusement of the Captain. Of course, he'd been told about the ghosts of Hogwarts. Most particularly about their agreement with the Soul Society and the express orders he'd received against sending them on their way. It seems the other had not been told, however.

This reaction, amusing Hitsugaya even further, was continued over through the week, particularly during meals. Several ghosts—especially Peeves—seemed to have taken a liking to scaring the brunette. Hitsugaya made no move to change that.

They both had similar reactions to the portraits hung throughout the castle. When a shrewd woman had commented about his hair, Hitsugaya leveled a glare at her, only to stumble back as the painting continued her rant. Shouta just about had a heart attack.

They also learned quickly that Gilderoy Lockhart was an idiot that did not know the first thing about magic. It was a Thursday, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was first. Shouta snickered at Hitsugaya's grimace, ignoring the icy glare sent his way as they parted, the brunette making his way to his own class. Reluctantly, the Shinigami Captain stepped into the DADA classroom.

The room's layout was fairly normal, with rows of desks lined up in front of the teacher's desk and a blackboard. Atop the desk sat a cage covered by an old piece of cloth and several books, which all had Lockhart's name printed on them. On the other hand, however, the other… decorations left much to be desired. The walls were lined with moving and talking portraits of Lockhart, and by the time he'd sat down, the professor was already strutting back and forth before the class, wooing a pair of enthralled girls with one of his exaggerated stories.

The subject didn't change much when class started, the man boasting about his books and accomplishments prior to teaching at Hogwarts. Hitsugaya resisted the surprisingly strong urge to groan as the man said, "I must ask you not to scream, it might provoke them!" A broad hand yanked the cloth off the cage on his desk with a dramatic flair.

Inside were about a dozen small, blue creatures flitting about within the cage, mischievous, nearly malevolent faces peered out from between the bars at the students. "Cornish pixies?" A boy seated up front scoffed, and Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. He stopped paying attention to the lesson up until the professor reached for the cage again, this time pulling the door open.

Before he had even fully opened it, the pixies burst out, flitting about the room, eager to cause havoc. One kid got himself pulled out of his chair and draped from the ceiling; another lost his books to a particularly malevolent trio. Hitsugaya watched disinterestedly as the professor took out his wand in an attempt to fix his mess, only to have his wand taken.

Several of the (more unfortunate) pixies attempted to make the Shinigami Captain their next victim, only to find themselves frozen and covered in ice upon getting within three feet. As the chaos persisted throughout the rest of the class, Hitsugaya began regretting his decision to stay.

Shouta had DADA not long after, finding himself in class five minutes late after making a wrong turn. He made his way to the back of the room as silently as possible, only for Lockhart to place a hand on his shoulder, steering him back towards the front.

"Perhaps you can help me with a demonstration today, Mr. What-an-arse." He said cheerily, not noticing the snickering from the other students or the scowl of the brunette.

"…It's _Watanabe_."

Lockhart laughed. "Of course, What-abs. Now, if I could ask you to stand over there…" Shouta's scowl deepened, reluctantly moving towards the indicated area, crossing his arms as he did so.

The professor pointed his wand at the transfer, loudly calling a spell—a demonstration, Shouta found out later. A burst of light erupted from the wand, and the man flew backwards, crashing rather painfully into his desk.

"O-Of course, as you can see class, casting a spell wrong can have dire consequences. Now—" The brunette found the class highly more enjoyable after that.

* * *

Hitsugaya and Shouta met up the next day, the two strolling leisurely by the Quidditch Field that morning whilst discussing various things. The brunette laughed at the incident with the Cornish pixies, recalling his own experience with Lockhart.

" **So, Hitsugaya, about the ghosts…** " He muttered, turning to the Captain, whose lips had turned up just ever so slightly in the corners.

" **Don't worry about them. I've already dealt with that situation.** " He replied, turning his head at the loud cries of several students nearby.

The white-haired Shinigami pulled to an abrupt stop as one Ron Weasley landed rather roughly on the ground before them. "Hey, you okay?" Shouta muttered, keeping a distance from the green-faced boy. Ron rolled onto his stomach, getting up on all fours before his mouth bulged as if about to barf. Both transfer students took another several steps back as the first slug popped out of the redhead's mouth.

The majority of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, plus Hermione, rushed over to the boy, hurrying closer only to hurry back again as the slimy creatures fell to the ground. They were punctuated by exclamations of disgust.

A young boy stepped up, closer than the others were obviously willing to go, an obnoxious grin on his face as he held up the camera hanging from his neck. Light flashed as he snapped a picture, babbling excitedly about the event.

Eventually, as the two foreigners watched in the background, Harry and Hermione gathered up the courage to step closer, rushing their friend away to the infirmary as he struggled to hold back another slug. A smug blond Slytherin watched from farther up the hillside, looking on at the scene in amusement alongside his cronies.

"Serves him right," he scoffed, his smirk mirrored by the surrounding Slytherins. "Did you see his face? He looked like he would turn into a slug himself. Wait, he already is one!" The second year and his friends cackled, sneering as several Gryffindors stalked by, though not without their share of heated glares at the green-clad group in return.

Hitsugaya vaguely recalled the boy, having been the same one to repeatedly harass Harry and his friends, though neither he nor Shouta had ever really associated with the boy, despite the latter being in the same House.

The Quidditch Team, particularly a pair of redheaded twins, were not about to let the insults slide. "Like you should talk, you weasel!" One of the twins shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the blond Slytherin. An insult was shot back at them by another, which was returned with equal heat, turning quickly into a loud, near vicious argument.

"You mudblooded freaks shouldn't even be allowed in this school!"

"We could say the same to you! Thinking you're better than others just because of your excuse of a father!"

"You think you can talk?! You're all freaks of nature! Look at him!" The blond snapped, jabbing a finger in the direction of the transfer students, specifically Toshiro, who'd been content watching everything play out. "I bet that filthy mudblood's parents are a bunch of good-for-nothings—" He was cut off abruptly as Shouta stalked up to him, staring down at the boy who was only a few inches shorter than him. "Wh-What's your problem?" He stuttered, unnerved by the cold gaze staring back at him. Hitsugaya found the boy's pitiable attempt not to shrink back from the bloodlust almost amusing.

"Hitsugaya would be considered a pureblood actually. You should check your facts before using them." The transfer replied, an almost eerily calm demeanor about him. His lip twitched up as his eyes narrowed. "Of course, insulting someone's parents is also extremely rude. Maybe you wouldn't be so careless if I were to help with that lead tongue of yours." The blonde's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared up into green eyes.

"That's enough, Watanabe." The Captain of the Tenth snapped, arms crossed from where he still stood off to the side. "Let's go, we have something we need to attend to." Teal eyes narrowed, as if to punctuate his point.

"Fine," The brunette grumbled, stepping back with a disappointed sigh before trudging away, hands stuffed into his pockets.

Hitsugaya followed, stopping only for a moment to turn his icy glare on the whimpering second year. The stunned group shivered as his gaze seemed to cause the sudden breeze and the goose bumps rising on their arms. "I suggest you watch your mouth, brat. Next time you run it off, _I_ will be the one to act. And it won't be nearly as pleasant." He growled at the boy, who nodded hurriedly.

The white-haired boy then smirked, following the fast departing brunette as the air rose back to its original temperature. The group of Gryffindors and Slytherins were left to stand there, bewildered as to what just happened.

* * *

Dinner was a usual event, neither foreigner eating much, seeing as they didn't need nearly as much food as the rest of the student body. For the sake of a rather insistent trio, however, the two had a bowl of rice each, with an added cup of tea for Hitsugaya.

Shouta was once again seated at the Gryffindor table, much to the disdain of most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors. There were a few, however, that—after their initial shock—didn't seem to have a problem with it, even coming up to applaud him for his blatant actions.

Only twenty minutes into dinner, Hitsugaya stood, sending a meaningful glance at the brunette before gliding silently out of the hall. Once he finished up what little food he did eat, Shouta followed.

The two of them moved down the halls without a word, each staring straight ahead as they made their way towards the owlry.

A whisper of a voice, hardly a sound at all, carried past them on the slight breeze of the spacious halls, and the Captain froze in his spot.

"Did you hear that?" Hitsugaya whirled around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound that seemed to echo around them. The hallway was empty aside from them and the occasional portrait.

"If you're talking about a creepy, bloodthirsty voice, then yes." Shouta muttered warily in reply, glancing around them. "If not, then I think I can finally prove that I'm going insane."

A hiss-like murmur seemed to echo in the large expanse, followed by a spike of reiatsu. "This way," The Captain raced down the corridor in the direction of the spike, the brunette not far behind. They were not too far from the Great Hall when the two skidded to a stop, staring in a wary sort of shock at the scene before them.

What appeared to be blood was smeared across the stone in large letters.

 _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.  
Enemies of the heir… Beware._

Next to the message was Mrs. Norris. She hung upside down from a torch bracket, poised unnaturally and unmoving. The brunette frowned, stepping up to the cat and carefully taking her down. "It doesn't seem to be dead. It's weird though… Almost like…"

"Wha…" The two transfers whirled around to face the newcomers, finding the Golden Trio staring at them in shock. Hardly ten seconds later, it seemed, were the halls filled with students, all whispering and pointing at the message and the two in the center of the commotion.

The caretaker shoved his way to the front of the crowd, beady eyes quickly finding the pair, and jabbed a finger accusingly at Shouta as he shrieked. "My cat! You murdered my cat!" The brunette looked at him in bewilderment before shifting his gaze down to where the cat was still lying frozen in his arms and back again.

"I did?" he blinked, now thoroughly confused as to the turn of events.

Filch growled, stomping closer and grabbing a fistful of his shirt to drag him closer to face level. "I'll kill ya. I'll kill ya!" The caretaker growled, spittle flying into the face of the younger.

"Argus," the calm voice of the Headmaster interrupted. Albus Dumbledore stepped over to the furious man as the crowd of gossiping students parted way for him, several professors not far behind. The caretaker cursed and grumbled under his breath as he reluctantly released Shouta, who stumbled back from his precarious balance on his toes.

The newly arrived staff halted upon fully seeing the display laid out before them, staring agape for several long moments. Dumbledore was the first to gather his wits, turning to examine everything with a critical eye. He looked from Hitsugaya off to the side, to Filch and Shouta—who was _still_ holding Mrs. Norris—to the message on the wall behind them. His eyes didn't turn from the message, expression stony as he addressed the crowd.

"Everyone, please proceed to the dormitories immediately." The crowd dispersed almost immediately, shuffling in various directions under the supervision of the teachers around them. "Except," he continued, turning to the two transfers, who had attempted to follow his previous directions, "You two."

Once the hall was devoid of onlookers, Dumbledore gently took the cat from the Japanese transfer, examining her closely. "She's not dead, Argus. She has been petrified. But how, I cannot say." His quiet voice sounded loud, echoing in the silence as everyone else present watched.

"Um, no offense Mr. Filch, but it's a _cat_. You can get a new one, can't you?" Several pairs of eyes snapped to the Slytherin second year currently raising an eyebrow almost sardonically at the caretaker. He rubbed the back of his neck habitually as all the attention was turned onto him.

Hitsugaya sighed inwardly at the idiot, whose posture and tone were sure to get him accused and possibly expelled in the process. Filch's seemingly unquenchable anger didn't help matters.

"Why you…!" He growled, raising a fist to shake it threateningly at the boy.

"Calm down, Argus." The headmaster's voice rose up again in the face of the oncoming argument. "Rather than accusing others needlessly, we should focus on how this happened."

"Ask him. He's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall." The caretaker hissed, raising a shaking finger in Shouta's direction again.

The brunette raised his hands in surrender, voicing his own defense. "Hey, no pointing fingers. I have no idea what happened either. By the time we got here, she was hung up right there. I was just getting her down." He jerked a thumb at the torch bracket to emphasize his point.

"Rubbish." Filch snapped in reply, taking a threatening step forward.

"If I may, Headmaster," Snape muttered in an almost demeaning manner, nearly glaring at the students present. "Perhaps these two have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." He advised, though the way his dark eyes narrowed and his nose rose a few centimeters suggested otherwise. At that moment, Hitsugaya wasn't sure he'd ever hated another living person so much before. "Though the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, recall these two leaving from dinner rather early." He continued, sneering as he strode slowly towards them.

Shouta scowled up at the man as he spoke. "I, for one, don't recall having to give a reason for leaving early." He sneered back, mimicking Snape's manner of speaking and somewhat nasally voice. Snape's face darkened into a glare.

"Now, now," Professor Lockhart laughed uncomfortably as he stepped between the two, raising his hands in a calming manner. "I'm sure whatever's going on here, these boys have a good reason for it."

"Back off, you useless professor." The transfer snapped in response, his temper flaring as his hands clenched. "You don't know anything about me. None of you do." He turned his glare towards the rest of the teachers, the less resilient ones flinching at the unbidden fury being reigned in.

" ** _Oi,_** **we're supposed to be undercover, in case you've forgotten.** " Hitsugaya snapped, stepping into the argument. His icy glare was far more threatening than either Snape's or Shouta's, though it remained focused on the brunette. " **You can do what you want** ** _after_** **the year is over.** " His companion turned to the Captain to lash out, but seemed to shrink ever so slightly under the stern gaze, eventually backing down and muttering a reluctant response.

"… **Fine.** "

* * *

 **So, to be honest, I'm not particularly satisfied with this chapter, but I should post something, right? I may go back later to revise it again, but for now, here it is. :P**


	5. Detention, a Not-So-Nice Transition

Dinner was a loud affair that evening, the students all gossiping about the incident earlier that day with the transfers and Mrs. Norris. The aforementioned transfer students were sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table, a noticeable expanse of empty seats within a ten-foot radius of them. The Golden Trio was sitting only a few feet down, just outside the radius.

"Do you think that Slytherin transfer did it?" Ron whispered, glancing suspiciously in their direction before turning his attention back to the rather large amount of food on his plate. He picked up a chicken leg, stuffing his mouth until his cheeks bulged, and Hermione wrinkled her nose in his direction.

"Maybe, but what about Toshiro? He was there too." Harry pointed out, deliberately not taking notice of his best friend's manners as he ate his own food at a slower pace.

Hermione seemed to have taken a liking to the Japanese cuisine laid out amongst the usual foods, swallowing a portion of some sort of soup before speaking up. "You two can't just accuse them without any evidence. They might have just been there at the wrong place and the wrong time." She reasoned, setting the bowl down daintily. Ron scoffed, tearing a large chunk of meat off the bone.

"Right. I'm sure you noticed it too. Those two are _weird_. Not right. 'Sides," he continued, swallowing another bite, "I've seen the way you and the rest of the girls look at them." He sneered, and Harry was quick to nod in agreement. The constant giggling and whispering got annoying after awhile.

"Ron's right. Besides, that Watt-an-abs guy was _holding_ the cat." He added, and Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"It's Watanabe. And he must have had a good reason. Like, perhaps…" The bushy-haired girl trailed off in thought, though another voice beat her to it.

"Like, perhaps I was trying to get the damned thing down. You know, like a good-natured person?" The trio whirled around, finding the two transfers no longer seated at the table but rather standing behind them. Slung over Shouta's shoulder was a messenger bag, some weird-looking rodent perched on his shoulder. Hitsugaya held a book and a letter in his hands—the latter presumably from the owls that had flown through just earlier.

"Shouta, Toshiro!" Hermione gasped, cheeks flushing in what seemed to be embarrassment, though it could've been otherwise. The two boys looked down, shame-faced, and students within feet of the five looked pointedly away.

"It's Hitsugaya."

"Wh-Where are you headed?" Hermione stuttered, trying to compose herself and rid her face of the red stain.

"Detention," Shouta replied casually, hands in his pockets.

Harry raised an eyebrow at them. "Why? What did you do?"

The transfer student gave him a dubious look. "What do you think? Being accused of something we didn't do. It was the only way to appease Filch for the time being, apparently. I blame Shiro-chan." He jerked a thumb at a frosty glare for emphasis.

The Golden Trio shivered, and while Hermione wanted to ask what "Shiro-chan" meant, she could easily deduce that now was most definitely not the right time.

"It's _Hitsugaya._ " The Captain growled, everyone (but Shouta) looking at him fearfully. "And I wasn't the one back-talking the professors." He snapped, and several students looked back and forth between the two. "You need to learn to watch your temper and your mouth."

Shouta rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself. Whenever you're angry, you literally try to freeze everything and everyone to death. And I think you just passed the freezing point." He gestured towards Ron's drink, frost trickling over the cup and turning the drink solid. Somewhat reluctantly, Hitsugaya sighed, the air temperature rising.

"We should get going." He spoke quietly, yet sharply, sending Shouta a glare before the two briskly walked off.

* * *

" **Did you send the report?** " Hitsugaya asked, leaning against the cold stone wall. His Gryffindor robes rustled with the miniscule breeze that occasionally swept through the dungeons. Shouta nodded, hands stuffed in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

" **Yeah. I added the situation about the petrification as well. What about that letter you got?** "

Hitsugaya flicked it out before him, letting the brunette get a brief glance at the address before replacing it back within the pocket hidden amongst the folds of his robes. " **Orders from the Head Captain. It is probably concerning your report, but I'll give you the details after I read it tonight.** "

" **Right, then. I can wait.** " Neither of them said anything more, as Snape moved briskly down the corridor.

"Plotting something, Mr. Watanabe?" Asked the sneering voice of Severus Snape, the man giving his student a pointed look as he unlocked the door and led the way into the potions classroom with a flourish.

Shouta rolled his eyes, ignoring but taking note of the warning look Hitsugaya sent him as the two followed the taller man into the room.

Snape waved his wand, and the door closed after Hitsugaya. Both transfers could sense the faint reiatsu radiating from the spell; presumably something either locking the door or keeping anyone from eavesdropping. After that was done, the Potions Professor didn't put his wand away, instead pointing it threateningly in the direction of the two foreigners.

"Who are you? No, _what_ are you? I know you're not human." Snape growled, wand wavering from pointing at Shouta to pointing at Hitsugaya and back again.

Shouta threw up his arms in exasperation. "No, no I'm not." He replied sarcastically, scowling at the professor. "I'm actually Gilderoy Lockheart in disguise. I'm undercover to investigate the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He snarked, sarcasm and annoyance dripping off his words. The brunette turned to his companion, thrusting an arm out and gesticulating wildly at the professor. " **See? This is why I hate school!"**

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and glaring at Shouta. " **Then knock him out already and get this over with.** "

"I'm _speaking_ to you." Snape interrupted, taking a few steps closer.

Shouta turned to glare at the man, not feeling the least bit threatened, it seemed. "I don't care. Look, you want to know who I am? Why I'm here? Well, I'm not here to kill anyone." He replied, before muttering, "At least, not for now." The room's temperature took a dive, Hitsugaya taking a threatening step forward.

" **Izukai, if you say anything else, I** _ **will**_ **kill you. The Head Captain specifically told you** _ **not**_ **to reveal any information.** " The Captain seethed, eyes narrowing dangerously. Frost was forming around his feet and spreading quickly through the already damp and dreary room.

The brunette paused at the threat, returning the glare with an equally level gaze. " **We both know you wouldn't do that.** " He replied, and Snape staggered back from the dangerous aura radiating from both transfers.

" **Doesn't mean I won't cut off an arm.** " He replied, sending out a burst of spiritual pressure that sent Snape crumpling to the ground, unconscious. Hyourinmaru appeared in his hands, poised dangerously close over Shouta's shoulder.

In a blurred movement too fast for human eyes to follow, the two had closed in, Hyorinmaru pressed against Shouta's throat, and a gun's muzzle resting against Hitsugaya's temple. Both of them were glaring, a thirst for blood practically radiating off of them.

" **We both know you can't shoot.** " It wasn't a threat, but a statement of fact. Shouta glared, grip tightening around the firearm, only to loosen just as quickly and fall down to his side, the pistol disappearing from sight as it once more became a ring. Another moment and Hyorinmaru had disappeared as well.

The two were still tense when an oddly cheerful and yet sickeningly familiar voice piped up following the bright light. " **Now, now, it won't do to fight. You don't want the professor to get killed in the crossfire.** " A lanky blond man grinned at them, his green-and-white striped hat overshadowing his face as he waved a fan just below the bridge of his nose. Shouta wondered why the man hadn't froze to death yet, with the natural chilliness of the room combined with Hitsugaya's freeze-ray, and all while the shopkeeper wore sandals and thin summer clothes.

" **Urahara-san, what're you doing here?** " Shouta asked, index finger twitching involuntarily as he broke the stare-down with the Captain of the Tenth.

The man grinned even wider. " **I came to give you your orders from the Head Captain. It's of the utmost priority that you get them immediately.** " Shouta raised an eyebrow in confusion, Hitsugaya sending the blond man a wary look.

" **What about the letter?** "

Urahara waved the brunette off. " **Not included.** "

" **What are the orders?** " Hitsugaya asked impatiently, evidently tired of listening to the two as he leaned against a nearby desk.

" **You're supposed to be attending school here for the next several years until it's decided otherwise. The Head Captain thinks that Aizen may somehow be involved, so until the situation is resolved, you'll be Hogwarts students.** " Shouta groaned openly while Hitsugaya did so silently, shown instead in the further lack of already nonexistent warmth. Urahara seemed to enjoy their psychological torture. " **I'll be your assigned Guardian for any required situations, so be good kids and don't get yourselves expelled~!** "

"I've already been through school! **I don't need to deal with this again!** " Shouta cursed, slipping in and out of Japanese and English subconsciously.

The temperature dropped to near subzero levels and Urahara clicked his tongue disapprovingly. " **Temper temperature!** " He warned, and the temperature slowly rose to more manageable levels, though the Captain didn't look any bit happier.

Shouta glared at the man. " **Get that stupid grin off your face. Technically, we're still in detention with** _ **an unconscious teacher**_ **and** _ **guardians**_ **should be at home waiting for their kids to come back at the end of the year.** " He snapped, emerald eyes catching sight of a small package sticking out of the ex-captain's pocket. " **And what's that?** "

" **Oh, I almost forgot!** " The man pulled the package out from his pocket, tossing it to a somewhat bewildered (even if he didn't show it) Hitsugaya. " **This is from Ukitake-san. There's another two dozen of those when you come back for winter break.** " Hitsugaya, knowing immediately what the contents were, looked at the package murderously, as if it were a creature that had eaten the last piece of watermelon from under his nose. Shouta slapped a hand over his mouth a moment later, trying unsuccessfully to hold in a fit of laughter.

Reluctantly, after the annoying insistence from Urahara, the Captain opened it. Shouta's snickers became louder as he bent over, holding his stomach, the temperature dropping again from the gaze that seemed to only darken even further, if possible.

From within the package and sweets was also retrieved a small, stuffed ice dragon, no larger than his arm's length. It stared innocently at Hitsugaya with button eyes. Even Hyorinmaru could be heard from within the depths of his mind, snorting and chuckling as he failed to completely conceal his amusement.

" _ **What is this?**_ " He seethed, meanwhile sending a mental message to his companion, effectively stifling the roaring laughter. 'This _is_ supposed to be you.'

" **Your Lieutenant made it. I was told it was to remind you of home.** " Urahara explained, not bothering to hide the amusement practically seeping off his face. Hitsugaya looked at the offending object like he was trying to freeze it without success. " **Oh, and she made it freeze-proof.** "

Snape groaned from where he lay, interrupting the moment. " **Oh yeah, forgot he was there.** " Shouta muttered under his breath. " **Anyways, you should get going before we get in trouble. See you later, Urahara-san~!** " He pushed the man towards the door perhaps a little too happily, not bothering to listen to the response before the Senkaimon was opened, the vanishing of the light taking away any—er, most—evidence of his ever being there.

That night, Snape had nightmares of Toshiro Hitsugaya cursing darkly at a dragon that seemed to stare at him with soulless eyes, a strange man he'd never met laughing behind the scenes, almost like background music.

* * *

 **This has been sitting in my computer for a while now, haha whoops. Rewrites get confusing like that.**


	6. The Second Victim

The crowd roared as the quaffle switched possession once more, a wave of green and silver and black rising in defiance and pride as the ball flew through one of the hoops. Shouta deigned to simply sit back and watch from where he sat at the edge of the crowd, bemused but overall interested in the wizarding sport known as Quidditch.

The quaffle continued changing direction, and as this began to turn somewhat monotonous, he glanced about the stadium, drowning out the commentator's obnoxious voice. Snape sat with the other professors, looking just as engaged in the match as everyone else. He glanced over in Shouta's direction for a moment, probably feeling eyes on him, and when their gazes met, quickly looked away again. He seemed to be doing this since they'd had detention.

For that matter, things between him and Hitsugaya had become somewhat strained since then as well. While Urahara's little distraction had turned some of the Captain's ire away, he still refused to say anything to him other than what was required for the mission. Not that these silent arguments were unusual for them. The brunette got along with _Soifon_ more often than Hitsugaya.

…Well, that may be pushing it a little.

Shouta sighed, looking over at the Gryffindor side, where the Shinigami looked to be reading and steadfastly ignoring anyone that tried to convince him to watch the game. What else did he expect?

Weasley and Granger's expressions changed drastically, and Shouta turned his attention back to the game as a bludger narrowly missed knocking Harry off his broom. When it went back around to try again, Shouta frowned. His forming suspicions were confirmed when the ball started following his broom in a consistent and unnatural pattern.

Hitsugaya shut his book, standing and watching attentively as students screamed, several pillars blown right through, the stands shaking without the support. Shouta wasn't paying too much attention to his assignment partner, focused more on what his course of action should be before someone got seriously injured.

The snitch, Potter, Malfoy, and the bludger all dived under the stadium, away from prying eyes, and Shouta maneuvered his way out of the seats towards the field, mirrored by Hitsugaya. He reached into his pocket, cursing silently as he remembered that Kurotsuchi had denied them the soul candy.

Malfoy and Potter came tumbling back into view, Gryffindor's win being announced in the process. Neither transfers paid much mind as they raced down into the arena, ignoring any curious looks. Weasley and Granger followed not too far behind, all eyeing with alarm the bludger that kept trying to smash Potter's face in.

Harry had just avoided what would have been a fatal blow to the head when Shouta jumped up, grabbing the ball and wrestling it to the ground a few feet away. Hitsugaya stood before the brunette, pulling out his wand.

"Hurry up." Shouta grunted, and Hitsugaya flicked his wrist, a beam of icy light shooting out of the tip of the wand and turning the rogue bludger into a block of ice. Shouta's hold crushed it to little shards within moments.

Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid came rushing onto the field moments later and making a beeline towards Harry, who sat staring wide-eyed at the transfers.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, kneeling beside her friend and wincing at the awkward angle his arm was bent.

"I-I think my arm's broken." Harry muttered in response, though from his flickering eyes, it was clear he wanted to ask the two foreigners some questions. Gilderoy Lockhart—much to the chagrin of everyone present—and several other professors were on the field moments later, several curious and worried students trailing behind them.

Lockhart didn't hesitate to pull out his wand, crouching readily on Harry's other side. "Not to worry Harry! I will fix that arm of yo—"

"I really think Harry's better off waiting until the nurse arrives." Shouta interrupted, quickly stepping between the professor and Potter with a sheepish grin on his face.

Lockhart just replied with his own disarming smile, lifting his wand a little higher. "Nonsense! I'll have him fixed up in a jiffy!"

Hitsugaya stepped forward as well, ignoring the slight tension in Shouta's shoulders as he did so. "We should leave this to a professional."

The Captain's cold gaze had Lockhart faltering for a moment, but it was long enough for Hagrid to scoop up Harry and start running towards the infirmary. The transfers were about to escape from the attention themselves when McGonagall materialized behind them, a hand on each boy's shoulder.

"You two come along as well. Those were reckless actions you took." Her stern gaze left no room for argument.

* * *

Harry's arm was healed with a single wave of the nurse's wand, though she insisted his arm was wrapped in bandages and he drink several potions just in case. She rushed past a pitifully groaning Malfoy and towards the two boys standing somewhat awkwardly near the entrance.

"Both of you, sit down!" She ordered, both following her directions immediately—thanks to Unohana's conditioning—and plopping down on adjacent beds. She looked over Hitsugaya first, poking and prodding him and asking questions. Shouta snickered at the dark look on the shinigami's face, but his amusement faded quickly when she turned to him instead. Hitsugaya smirked. (Revenge was sweet.) Finally, she stepped back with a huff. "It's a miracle neither of you are hurt. But I don't want to see you in here again because of another reckless action!"

She received a "Yes, ma'am," and nodded with finality before turning to finally attend to Malfoy. (Or rather, to get him to shut up, since he was bothering the other patients with his moaning.)

Dinner was long over by the time they were allowed to leave, everyone having already gone back to the dormitories. They passed by McGonagall, trying to look unassuming while silently agreeing to take a quick detour.

Shouta spotted Snape as they slipped into the library—Pince wasn't present, thankfully—grinning as he waved at the man, who scowled, but quickly turned the other way. The brunette snickered; the man had pretty much been avoiding them since that one night.

He hopped over the rope into the restricted section, where Hitsugaya was already scanning the shelves, a lantern in hand. Shouta took hold of the lantern once he was close enough, Hitsugaya pulling a book from the shelf and flipping through it. "What do you think caused the petrification?"

"I'd say a cockatrice, but that's kind of unlikely," Shouta mused, "And it definitely isn't Medusa; she should be Greece, unless the rumors of her moving to the States is true. A basilisk maybe?"

Hitsugaya offered a noncommittal sound in response as he replaced the book, scanning the shelf for a few more seconds before choosing another.

 _Kill… Kill…_

Both boys froze, bodies gearing for a fight. "Mind telling me what that was?" Shouta hissed, the Captain putting the book back in the shelf and rushing out of the library, not even the sound of a breeze stirring in his wake.

They turned down several halls, following the hissing as it slowly faded away. Shouta jumped ahead, ignoring the half-shouted warning from the Captain only to nearly trip over an obstacle, hard to see in only the faint moonlight. He paused, turning to see the statue he'd tripped over as the lantern in Hitsugaya's hands illuminated it.

"That's Colin Creevey." Hitsugaya muttered, eyes narrowing at the camera held before the boy's face, poised as if he was taking a picture. "He's been petrified."

"Who?"

"Potter's fanboy." Hitsugaya replied dryly, though his face portrayed no amusement. He lifted the lantern higher, eyes scanning the scene in a practiced manner. He paused as the light swept over the ground by the nearest window.

"You find something?" Shouta maneuvered around the body to see what had caught his companion's eye, but the light swept away again as the Captain turned, and a rush of feet had them face to face with McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore.

"What happened here?" The Deputy Headmistress demanded, heels clicking as the professors made brisk steps towards them. Snape stayed behind the other two, but there was a vindictive light in his beady eyes.

"We were heading back to the dorms when we came across this." Shouta spit out, hands raised in a poor attempt to defuse McGonagall's silent fury.

Snape's lips quirked up, both transfer students glowering at him momentarily. "If the time I saw you leaving the infirmary were any indication, you should've been asleep a long time ago." He sneered. They both knew what he'd really seen; why he was keeping quiet was another issue altogether, however.

Shouta's eyes slid off to the side sheepishly, not that McGonagall was fooled. "Don't you even think about it! You are going to explain to us exactly what is going on. I don't want to hear any excuses!" She heaved, looking ready to start a seething lecture when Dumbledore stepped forward, resting a calm hand on her shoulder.

"First, we must take Mr. Creevey to the infirmary. Afterwards, you both are to explain your recent actions." The Headmaster's eyes peered at them knowingly from over the rim of his half-moon glasses, Shouta swallowing thickly. He definitely knew more than he should.

After lifting Colin Creevey's body (via levitation spell), the professors set off at a brisk pace, the transfer students trudging behind reluctantly. " **Let's make a run for it.** " Shouta muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders hunched. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

" **If we ran, they would accuse us of being the culprits.** " He hissed back, earning a noncommittal shrug in response. The Captain sent his partner an icy glare, at which the brunette stuck his tongue out. " **You are so childish.** "

" **At least I don't look like one.** " He snickered at the seething Hitsugaya, absolutely positive he was going to regret that in a moment when the professors turned to them. Saved by the professors.

Dumbledore watched them for several moments before speaking, the other two walking ahead. "Follow me, you two."

They both glanced at each other, frowning, but complied nonetheless.

It wasn't until they were seated in his office that the Headmaster spoke again. "I think we deserve an explanation."

* * *

 **So I'm back. Sort of. Also, from here on in particular, I'll be taking a lot of things out from the original story, though there'll be some new content as well. ;)**


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